Consequences
by Dawn M Duval
Summary: Strange warehouse workers and odd injuries. Adventure with the whole team.
1. Chapter 1

Torchwood

Consequences

Chapter One

Owen drank his coffee as Toshiko got her things together for work.

'Can't the psycho aliens wait another half an hour?' he said pulling Toshiko towards him and kissing her.

'I doubt it. There's always later,'

'That's if the world hasn't ended,'

'All the more reason for us to get to work.'

They got into Owen's car.

'I'll hold you to that promise about later, you know?'

'I know she said with a rye smile. 'Ouch' she said as she did her seatbelt up.

'What is it?'

'I don't know?' she said pulling her sleeve up to inspect the area that hurt.

'It looks like a burn,' Owen said looking at it, 'When did you do that?'

'I don't know.' Toshiko said puzzled.

'I'll have a look when we get to the hub,' Owen said pulling away.

'Glad you could make it,' Jack joked as Toshiko and Owen walked into the hub.

'Sorry it was Owen's fault,' Toshiko said apologetically.

'Does that mean what I think it does?' Gwen whispered to Ianto.

'It certainly does,'

'Why didn't anyone tell me?'

'Meeting, boardroom five minutes,' Jack said heading to his office.

The team were sat around the boardroom table.

'Ok what have we got people?' Jack asked. 'Tosh much activity?'

'No more than usual,'

'Anyone got anything of note or is this going to be a very quick meeting,'

'I've got something that might be of interest.' Ianto offered.

'what might that be?'

'Well we've been contacted by a lady that works for Witton's Warehouse. She's a bit concerned by the way some of the staff are acting,'

'Ok arrange for us to go and see her,'

'Already have done. We're meeting her in the King's Head at midday,'

'The King's Head, why not the Warehouse?'

'Because she doesn't want her boss to know, he seems unconcerned.'

'Ok. Anyone else got anything?' everybody stayed quiet. 'Ok dismissed but I want to know the minute anything comes up.'

They all go up to go. 'What did you do to your arm?' Gwen asked as she saw the dressing that Owen had put on.

'I'm not awfully sure. It looked like a burn.'

'Bur you don't remember doing it?' she asked as they headed back to their desks.

'No. It's a bit strange.'

'It wasn't Owen getting too hot to handle?'

'Yeah very funny,' Owen said not amused.

Owen and Jack had gone to meet the lady from Wittons Warehouse. She was a very quite woman called Sue Knight. She looked very much on edge while talking to them. She kept looking over her shoulder as if she was expecting someone.

'So you say the people at the warehouse have been acting oddly?' Jack asked.

She nodded 'Very,'

'How so?'

'They've become too efficient,'

'Is that a problem?'

'Not to Mr Jennings. But they aren't acting normally. They work tirelessly without ever moaning, or even talking too each other these days. They don't stop for breaks. I've not seen one of them head to the loo in weeks.'

'So you think something's wrong with them?' Owen asked.

'I'm certain. That's not normal behaviour.'

'We'll have a look into it,' Jack said.

'Please do. They used to be such a nice friendly bunch.'

Ianto was fiddling with the coffee machine, and muttering at it under his breath.

'Are you alright there?' Toshiko asked as she walked over.

'Not really, it's decided to play up.'

'I'll have a go, see if I can get it up and running again,' she said taking over from Ianto. Suddenly a shot of steam leapt out. Toshiko screamed and leapt back.

'Oh my God are you ok?' Ianto asked.

'Tosh what's wrong?' Gwen said coming to investigate the scream.

'I'm fine I just burnt myself,' she said holding her arm.

'Isn't that where you burnt yourself earlier,'

'You're right it is,' she said looking at her arm.

'That's really unlucky, twice in the one place.' Gwen said.

'How did you burn yourself this morning?' Ianto asked.

'I don't know, it just appeared.' she looked at her arm in thought. 'You know it hurt more when it appeared this morning?'

'Maybe the dressing stopped it just now,' Ianto offered.

'Maybe,' Toshiko said still looking at her arm.

'How did it go?' Gwen asked Jack and Owen as they came back in.

'There is something unusual. I think it needs looking into further. Tosh if you can see if there's any CCTV you can gain access to,'

'Ok will do,' Toshiko said putting her glasses on and heading to her computer.

'How's the arm?' Owen said joining her.

'It's ok. Although I was fiddling with the coffee machine...'

'I thought that was Ianto's job,'

'It wasn't working I was helping fix it. When steam shot out hitting me were my burn was.'

'Unlucky.'

'Was it, or have I some how managed to get a burn before I actually burn myself? There was no cause for it earlier.'

'But that doesn't make sense,'

'Things don't always around here,'

'Lets have a look again,' Owen asked and Toshiko offered him her arm.

He peeled back the dressing. 'It does look consistent with a pressurised steam injury,'

'So cause and effect don't seem to be valid anymore.'


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

'Have you found anything interesting about Wittons?' Jack asked Toshiko.

'Not too much. I have managed to get their CCTV though.'

'Anything odd there?' she said calling it up.

'Well the information you got was right. They are acting very strange. They're almost robotic,'

'What are those headsets they are wearing?'

'It's part of the computer system. Instead of making notes and moving things in and out by computer they just talk to the headset.'

'Is it just me or is that a bit freaky?'

'Have you told Jack about your arm?' Owen asked joining them.

'What about it?' Jack asked.

'She got a burn before any cause for it,' Owen said as Toshiko opened her month to speak.

'That is strange, is it just you?'

'No it's not,' Ianto said joining the conversation. 'Lots of people are noticing it,'

'How did you find out?' Owen asked.

'I checked on twitter. If you want seemingly useless information that's your place.'

'Gwen how do you fancy a career change?' Jack asked.

'Another one?'

'We need you to go undercover at Wittons warehouse, to see if we can get to the bottom of this.'

'I suppose,'

'They are advertising for a warehouse operatives and we're going to make sure you get it. Find out what if anything is going on there,'

'Ok will do,'

'Just keep us informed of anything that's happening.'

Toshiko had sorted out Gwen's back story and paperwork. Gwen did wonder how they had ever managed without Tosh. She sat in the rather dingy waiting room of Wittons waiting to go in for her interview. Tosh had made her CV look extremely appealing to them, the chances she was going to get the job was pretty good.

'Well?' Jack asked as Gwen came back into the hub.

'It was a doddle, wish all my interviews had been that easy. Thanks Tosh.'

Gwen felt rather nervous on her first day at Wittons. She didn't know why, she'd handled far worse. But still it was going to a new place with new people; who you might or might not get on with.

The woman at the reception desk was very friendly. Gwen recognised her as the woman who had contacted them, that Jack and Owen had met. Gwen sat around looking at the not very inspiring posters as she waited for the boss. A couple of other people where waiting too. It looked like there would be three of the starting. Gwen smiled at them, they looked nervous too. Eventually Mr Jennings came out he was an enthusiastic older gentleman with a ruddy completion. He introduced himself to the three of them and showed them through to the training room. Her fellow newbes were called Elly and Luke. The three of them were treated to a long and boring training DVD which Gwen nearly fell asleep during and she had a feeling she wasn't the only one. Gwen was hoping they'd get down to it soon, she could perhaps spot the alien or whatever was happening and go home. But there was yet more training - how much training do you need to move things from one place to another she thought? Next was their training on the Talkclear voice call system Toshiko had pointed out.


End file.
